Duel
/ˈdjuː.əl/noun
A prearranged fight between two people, especially with swords or pistols, to settle a dispute.
Did you know?English *duel* was borrowed from French *duel*, ultimately from Latin *duellum*—an older form related to *bellum* “war,” so the word’s deepest root is literally tied to conflict.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dwey-
“to fear, be afraid”
Latin
Latin
duellum
“war; an older poetic/archaic form of *bellum*”
Latin
Latin
bellum
“war”
Old French
Old French
duel
“combat, contest, fight”
16th Century
English
duel
“a formal combat between two persons to settle a point of honor”
Modern English
English
duel
“a prearranged fight between two people”
Explore more surprising origins